Doug2287

Maybe you know something I don't. I tried buying the rivnuts locally. There is a Menard's that carries them. The ones they had in stock were not designed for material as thick as the fiberglass in the liftgate of my Journey. I know they apparently make them due to the factory installed them, but the dealership says they are not listed as a serviceable part. I will ask around at the body shops as you suggest. Thank you for the tip. The only other solution I could come up with, is the short hollow wall anchors I talked about above. I have the setting tool, but may not have the correct die it takes for the threads it uses. I only have English dies at present. No metric.

I have not checked the dealership to find out if the threaded inserts are available from them yet or not. The only other reliable solution I can come up with is to go to your local hardware store and buy short hollow wall anchors which expand behind the fiberglass panel of your rear liftgate. You will have to remove the inner panel from the liftgate to access the back of the existing threaded inserts if they are spinning on you like mine are. Grab one of them with vicegrip pliers to hold them still while you carefully drill the head off of the threaded insert. Then, you can use short hollow wall anchors in their place which will expand behind the fiberglass and hold your license plate. I recommend using silicone sealant around the hollow wall fastener to seal out moisture and also buy stainless screws to hold on your license. The threads would benefit from thread sealant as well. I intend to use rubber washers behind the plate as well which can keep the plate away from the paint. The rubber washers could be found at the hardware store in the plumbing supply section. They are intended to be used in faucets. I have not done this yet, however I intend to do it tomarrow, time allowing. I will keep you posted.